ST. ALBANS, Vt. -
New information about sexting problems at BFA-St. Albans.
Seventeen students at the high school were involved with the sexting.
The incident made its way to Franklin County State's Attorney Jim Hughes' office Thursday morning. Hughes says the students were exchanging nude pictures of themselves over their cellphones earlier this month. The incident surfaced when a student shared details with an administrator.
In 2009, the Legislature passed a sexting law that prevents teens from facing serious sex crime charges for voluntarily sharing explicit photos of themselves. Hughes says charges are not in the works because there was no evidence of coercion or money exchanged for the images, and he is satisfied with how the school and parents are handling the matter. But he does have a strong message for the students involved.
"Smarten up! It's very risky, even if it is just among friends, this day and age of hackers and friends can decide to send to other friends that you don't know. You publish something on the internet, it is out there forever," Hughes said.
BFA-St. Albans Principal Dennis Hill told WCAX News last week the incident only involved a few students and that none had been suspended. Thursday he declined our request for an on camera interview.
Hughes says the school is meeting with students, parents and the school resource officer to talk about the incident. Members of his office are also slated to meet with kids to talk about the dangers and possible legal implications of sexting.
